Things to do and see in South Africa

To see

Maropeng Visitor Centre

Muldersdrift, Gauteng

Official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

maropeng.co.za ↗

To do

Sterkfontein Caves

Muldersdrift, Gauteng

Guided tours of the caves where 'Mrs Ples' and 'Little Foot' were found.

To see

Freedom Park

Pretoria, Gauteng

Heritage site and memorial on Salvokop.

To see

Jacaranda season

Pretoria, Gauteng

Thousands of jacaranda trees bloom purple from about late September to November.

To do

National Zoological Garden

Pretoria, Gauteng

South Africa's national zoo.

To see

Union Buildings

Pretoria, Gauteng

Seat of government, with terraced gardens and a 9-metre statue of Nelson Mandela.

To see

Voortrekker Monument

Pretoria, Gauteng

Granite monument and museum on a hill south of the city.

vtm.org.za ↗

To see

Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum

Soweto, Gauteng

Remembers the 1976 student uprising.

To do

Orlando Towers

Soweto, Gauteng

Bungee jump or swing between the painted cooling towers.

To see

Vilakazi Street

Soweto, Gauteng

The street where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu both lived; visit the Mandela House museum.

To do

Vaal River

Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng

Boating, river cruises and riverside restaurants.

To do

Ballito tidal pools

Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal

Safe swimming in natural rock pools.

To do

Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls

Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal

Hike to the top of one of the world's highest waterfalls.

To see

Rorke's Drift

Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal

Mission station battlefield of 22–23 January 1879.

To see

Durban Botanic Gardens

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Africa's oldest surviving botanic garden, established in 1849.

To do

Golden Mile

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Walk, cycle or swim along Durban's beachfront promenade.

To do

Victoria Street Market

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Market of spices and curios in the city centre.

To see

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal

Africa's oldest proclaimed game reserve, famous for rhino conservation.

To see

Howick Falls

Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

95-metre waterfall right next to town.

To see

Nelson Mandela Capture Site

Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

Steel-column sculpture where Mandela was arrested in 1962.

To do

Midlands Meander

Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal

Craft, food and country stays along the R103.

midlandsmeander.co.za ↗

To see

Isandlwana battlefield

Nqutu, KwaZulu-Natal

Site of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War battle.

To do

Oribi Gorge

Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal

Gorge with a swing, ziplines and hiking.

To do

Scuba diving at Sodwana Bay

Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal

Coral reef diving in the iSimangaliso marine reserve.

To do

Hippo and croc boat cruise

St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal

Boat cruises on the St Lucia estuary.

To see

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal

World Heritage Site with hippos, crocodiles, turtles and beaches.

isimangaliso.com ↗

To see

Sharks Board

Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal

Learn about sharks and the shark-net programme.

To do

Umhlanga lighthouse and promenade

Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal

Walk the promenade past the lighthouse and tidal pools.

To do

Aliwal Shoal

Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal

Diving with ragged-tooth sharks on a fossilised dune reef.

To do

Sani Pass

Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal

4x4 trip up the pass to Lesotho.